How Costco Bakers Complete So Many Custom Cake Orders, According To Reddit

Ever wondered how Costco bakers manage to fulfill so many custom cake orders each day? It turns out that they do most of the prep work ahead of time and freeze their confections, according to a Reddit thread. One commenter, who appears to be a Costco employee, posted "We are an extremely busy bakery and 95% of the time we cut, fill, ice, and freeze our half sheets for the week at the beginning of the week so when it's time decorate the day's orders we are just putting the decorations on the cakes we finished previously."

This move saves a lot of time because the bakers can simply grab the correct cake flavor from the freezer and set to work on finishing up any customizations, such as happy birthday messages, motifs, or other personalized requests (for instance, the Costco cake ordering tip for perfect slices every time is to ask for your confection to be scored before it's boxed up). The downside to this technique is that it doesn't leave much room for last-minute custom orders, such as requesting a chocolate cake with a different mousse or buttercream filling. Having said that, the same commenter said that some changes are possible if the manager approves it and you give enough notice. This extra time allows the decorator to set a cake aside and fill it with the correct flavors so there is some leeway. However, the Redditor also noted that customization varies store to store.

On learning about Costco's methods, you might be concerned about how freezing a cake affects its quality. The truth is that freezing a cake actually helps retain its freshness and locks in moisture. It's better to freeze a cooled sponge when it's at its freshest rather than set it in the fridge where the cool air can cause it to dry out over time. However, if you are unhappy with your order, you can return a Costco cake and get a refund as long as there's a substantial amount of it left (don't show up with a couple of morsels left on the cake board claiming that it didn't meet your standards!). Love the cake but can't finish the whole lot in one sitting? The way to properly store your leftover Costco cake so it doesn't go bad is to cover the cut edges with plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container before refrigerating.

If you're preparing a homemade cake for a celebration and want to prepare it ahead of time, freezing it before frosting it is a useful move. Just make sure to cover it twice in plastic wrap to prevent it from absorbing any odors coming from other frozen foods nearby. Then, on the day of the celebration, you can level and split it while it's still partially frozen to achieve a super-neat finish. As the cake will have a firmer surface, it will also be easier to frost and decorate.